


Coming Home for Christmas

by Kayte76



Category: Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:53:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27887083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayte76/pseuds/Kayte76
Summary: It's Lovecember!I used the generator and it gave me this:Holiday Theme: decoratingTrope: Found FamilyPrompt: You can’t just disappear off the face of this earth, make a reappearance for the holidays and think everything will be okayVeronica returns to Neptune for the Holidays
Relationships: Logan Echolls/Veronica Mars
Comments: 18
Kudos: 49
Collections: Lovecember Holiday Edition





	Coming Home for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Veronica Mars Fandom](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Veronica+Mars+Fandom).



Veronica had only been back to Neptune for a few days. When she came to visit her dad at the office, she cringed at the level of disarray it was in. After a few hours of organization, things were looking much better. Closed case files were now in the filing cabinet. Payment receipts were alphabetized and ready to be entered into the new online system she set up. All that was left were a few random holiday cards and notes that needed to be cleared from his desk and the place would be back in order. 

Looking at the festive pile of cards, she decided to display them in the shape of a tree. It would go well with the other Christmas decorations around the office. Before she got started, Veronica sat at her dad’s desk, looking through the holiday cards people had sent him. He truly had made a remarkable impact on a lot of people over the years. Many of these cards were from past clients whose lives he’d made better through the work he did. As she read the holiday messages, Veronica realized that she wanted to make that kind of mark on the world. She’d been removing each card from their envelope when she recognized the scrawled handwriting on the emerald green envelope in her hand. 

She ran her left thumb over the return address in the corner. Was this where he lived now? Would he welcome her in if she stopped by? A more intriguing question was why Logan Echolls was sending her dad a holiday card? Turning the rectangular shaped object in her hand over, she flipped open the flap, grasping the ivory card inside. Embossed in shiny red letters it read,  _ Merry Christmas _ . She traced the letters with her fingers, feeling the shiny smooth texture in contrast to the card itself that felt like it was made from recycled paper. Opening the card, she saw the same recognizable scrawl.

**_Here’s to another year!_ **

**_Thank you for always being there._ **

**_I hope you get your wish this year._ **

**_Logan_ **

As she sat, a million questions now running through her head, she wondered how much life in Neptune had gone on without her. She hadn’t heard anything that would explain what Logan meant by his words, but she also had to admit that this shouldn’t be a surprise since she was the one who made any mention of him taboo. 

As she hung the cards, she thought about how she could bring this up to her dad. No matter what scheme she considered, she knew that her dad wasn’t the one she would need to talk to. In the end, she was certain he wouldn’t tell her anything important. If something had happened, he would just say that it wasn’t his place to tell her Logan’s business and he would encourage her to go to the actual source. 

With the cards all displayed, she stood back to admire her work, then glanced around for anything else to do. Satisfied with her efforts, she grabbed the envelope from Logan’s card and headed out with hopes he would be home.

Veronica made her way along the oceanside drive. This was exactly the type of neighborhood she pictured Logan choosing to live. Each property overlooked the ocean and there was enough distance between each to ensure privacy. Logan’s house was at the end of the drive, ensuring the most seclusion. As she got closer, she was more confused than she had been earlier. A black SUV, a blue convertible, Mac’s convertible, and her dad’s car filled the driveway. With no room for her car, she parked along the curb instead. After a few deep breaths, Veronica made her way up the driveway towards the front door. She raised her hand to knock, then froze at the sound of holiday music, laughing, and what sounded like singing. Veronica took a step back and maneuvered herself towards the window. Peeking inside, she saw Dick and Mac dancing. Dick was singing to the music while everyone else laughed. Her dad was wearing gold garland around his neck and Logan...looked amazing. The whole group looked happy, like a family enjoying the holidays. She stumbled backwards, moving quickly to her car. She needed to get away from the happy scene. She felt like she was intruding on a private moment, which left an empty feeling deep in her stomach. Once she was safely secure in the driver’s seat of her car, she left.

She wasn’t sure how she ended up at the mall; her mind had been racing since she left Logan’s. Shopping was supposed to be some kind of therapy so she spent several hours there finding a gift for everyone she cared about, even Dick. It seemed that he had also become part of the makeshift family she had witnessed. The only person missing was Wallace. Veronica couldn’t get the image of them out of her head, the people she cared about, all together, happy. Wasn’t that why she left all those years ago in the first place — so they could be safe and happy without her around messing things up? Things in Neptune had clearly changed and she’d changed too, so maybe now they could all be happy together. 

Her shopping finally complete, Veronica headed back to her dad’s place. He hadn’t told her how long he would be when he left that morning, only mentioning he had business to take care of. Veronica hadn’t known that business would mean spending the day in holiday cheer with Logan and company. As she sat wrapping presents in the guest room, she let her mind wander. When did Logan befriend her dad and how did it happen? When did he become friends with Mac? And how did Dick fit in with her dad? They all looked so comfortable with each other decorating, dancing, and singing. Was Wallace a part of this makeshift family too? She’d always thought they would be better off without her here getting into trouble, dragging them down with her. What she didn’t expect was for them to band together in her absence. And could his friendship with her dad mean that Logan knew she was back in Neptune? If they were all friends, then maybe they would spend the holidays together, and she could be a part of that too. 

Veronica pulled the box of Christmas party invitations she’d picked up at the mall from the bag and grabbed her pen. She filled out the information, sealed each one, and addressed them. Once she had five envelopes ready for delivery, she headed out, leaving her wrapped gifts piled up at the foot of her bed.

* * *

Her first stop was Alicia’s house, but she wasn’t home, so she left the invitation in the mailbox outside. Leaving there, she hoped to catch Wallace, but unfortunately he wasn’t home either. From there, Veronica stopped at Mac’s and still no luck, but she thought maybe they were all still at Logan’s house. With that in mind, Veronica decided to just bite the bullet and head over there. 

As she pulled up to his house, she noticed that only the two vehicles she hadn’t recognized earlier were still there. Feeling better about not having much of an audience for this, she made her way to the door and knocked. The longer she waited, the more nervous she got. How would he react to seeing her after all these years? What would she say? What would he say? She decided she would keep it casual so when the door opened, she readied herself, but instead of Logan, she was greeted by Dick.

“Ronnie?”

“Hi, Dick, how are you?” She greeted him with a wide grin on her face and a hint of an Amber tone in her voice.

Her demeanor clearly shocked him as he stammered over his words. “Uh, I’m good. What’s going on, Ronnie?”

“Oh, I have something for you,” she said, reaching into her bag. “Hold on.” She pulled out the envelope with his name on it and handed it to him. “Um, is Logan home? I have one for him too.” 

Dick was looking at his name on the envelope. She had definitely caught him off guard. It took him a moment before he turned, yelling over his shoulder, “Logan, that girl who follows you around is here.” With that, he walked away, tearing open the envelope as he went.

He hadn’t exactly invited her in, but she stepped up into the doorway just as Logan pulled it all the way open. At the sight of her, he jumped back, a startled look on his face. 

“Veronica, how did you...nevermind that’s a stupid question. Of course you would know where I live.” 

Logan stepped away from the door, allowing her to enter. As she did, she pulled his invitation from her bag.

“I heard you were in town. I have to say I didn’t expect to see you,” he continued. She swung the door shut behind her as he turned to face her and she handed the envelope to him, not willing to respond to his jab at her.

“What’s this?” he asked as he tore it open. 

“I’ve missed you,” she said, the thing she felt was most important to say to him. He didn't respond, so she kept talking. “I’ve been busy since I’ve been back, helping my dad organize his office and doing holiday shopping.” 

He was still just staring at her. She looked down at the envelope in his hand, noticing that he still hadn’t pulled the invitation out to read it. “I thought I would have a party before Christmas so we could all get together and catch up,” she added cheerfully, gesturing to it. 

Logan removed the card and read it out loud.

**Eat Drink & Be Merry **

**The Mars’ residence**

**Sunday, December 23rd, 7 pm**

Logan shoved the card back into the envelope, shaking his head. “You wanna have a party?”

“Well, yeah. It’s been a long time and I thought we could all get together...” she started to explain, but he cut her off.

“You can’t just disappear off the face of the earth, make a reappearance for the holidays and think everything will be okay,” he said with a sneer before tossing the invitation on the table and turning to walk away. 

Over his shoulder, he added, “You can see yourself out.”

Stunned, Veronica watched Logan disappear into the house. Of all the reactions she imagined, this had not been one of them. He sounded so angry with her. Movement out of the corner of her eye grabbed her attention and she turned to see Dick watching her.

“You’re not gonna let him get away with that are you?” he asked, gesturing in the direction where Logan had vanished. She gave her head a quick shake, trying to clear the feeling that she’d just entered an alternate universe. Was Dick actually encouraging her to go after Logan? 

“He doesn’t want me here, Dick.” 

“That’s bullshit.” He walked around the edge of the couch and stood in front of her. “He can’t quit you.” That put a smile on her face. 

“But that doesn’t mean he’s gonna let you toy with his heart again. He’s worked too hard to get to this point.” 

“I…”

“No,” he interrupted. ”Ronnie, you don’t get it. You broke him and it was bad.” 

Dick stepped closer, invading her personal space, and she had no other choice but to look up at him. To her surprise, she couldn’t remember the last time he looked so serious. “You can’t run this time. If you go out there you have to be all in. If you can’t do that, then do as he asked and let yourself out.”

With that, Dick walked away, heading the same way Logan had gone, leaving her speechless. This was probably the strangest conversation she’d ever had with him and that was saying a lot from over the years. It seemed that Dick may have finally grown up. But what else had happened while she was gone? There was only one person who could really give her the answers she needed. Veronica set her bag down by the door and followed in the direction both Logan and Dick had gone. The hallway opened up into a great room and open kitchen with French doors out to a patio. 

Playing a hunch, she moved to the doors and saw what she expected. Logan was sitting on the deck steps looking out over the ocean. She steadied herself, then stepped outside. She paused again, letting the ocean breeze cool her face. The air felt good as she let herself take in the view: toned muscles, chiseled jawline. The years had been good to him. She slowly made her way to his left and sat down beside him. He didn’t look at her, keeping his focus on the crashing waves in front of them. 

She took a deep breath and slowly let out a soft sigh before she spoke. “I’m sorry, Logan.”

She heard his sharp intake of breath at her admission, but he said nothing. “I’m sorry for everything. I left all those years ago because I didn’t want to keep hurting the people I loved. I was a terrible daughter, a terrible friend, a terrible girlfriend.” 

Logan cocked his head to look at her, but she couldn’t read him like she used to. “Logan, I spent my formative years running scared. I don’t want to do that anymore. I know I hurt you and I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I’m not running anymore.” 

Veronica sat, fidgeting anxiously with her fingers as she waited for some kind of response. She was relieved that he hadn’t abandoned her or asked her to leave again,; but he just sat looking out over the water. She waited a few more minutes, but when he still didn’t respond, she decided to take a play from Dick’s handbook and stood to move in front of him. Logan had no choice but to look at her from this position. Veronica took a deep breath and put everything out on the table before she could chicken out. 

“You, Logan Echolls, are the love of my life. I came home to try to get back the life I ran away from so long ago, and I really hope you give me the chance to make up for all my mistakes. I don’t expect you to believe me, or trust me, but I’m going to keep trying until you do. I’m staying with my dad for now and my number is still the same.” Veronica turned to leave, but stopped herself. The fear of him not giving her another chance was nearly overwhelming and she decided she needed to go all in. She centered herself in front of him again and waited until he made eye contact. “You’re it for me, Logan. I love you. I’ve always loved you and I’m sorry it took me this long to say it.” 

Not knowing what else she could say, Veronica stepped up around him and made her way back through the house. Dick stood at the island in the kitchen smiling at her. They exchanged nods as she passed on her way out the door. 

* * *

Veronica didn’t know what to think as she drove home to her dad’s. She had expected Logan to react as he used to and chase after her, but he hadn’t. She checked her phone at every stop light, but he didn’t message or call her either. Having already tried with Logan, she figured she would try opening up to her dad. Coming into the house, she found him carrying a large green storage tub down the hall into the living room. 

“Hey, honey, where have you been?” he greeted her as he set the tub on top of another one next to the couch. 

“Hi, Pops. Can we talk?” She walked around the side of the couch and sat down. Keith came around the other side and sat beside her.

“Uh oh, this sounds serious. Did something happen today?” he asked.

“You could say that. I know we talked about me moving back and coming to work at MI.” He nodded, acknowledging the earlier conversation they had when she first told him she was moving home. 

“It was one thing talking to you, but I’ve been avoiding the unpleasantries I knew I would have to face in making this decision. Talking to all the people I ran away from. Apologizing for the stuff I did. But while I was straightening up things at the office, I found a Christmas card from Logan.” She saw her dad flinch. 

“We’ll talk about that in a minute but where I was going with this is...I went over there, saw all of you,” she says, putting her hand on his knee. 

“I panicked, obviously; I am still me. Then, somehow I ended up at the mall shopping for presents for everyone. I decided the best way to get re-acquainted is to have a party, so I spent the afternoon delivering invites. My hope is that Sunday evening we will have Alicia, Wallace, Mac, Dick, and Logan over to eat, drink and be merry, together.”

“Veronica, are you sure you are ready for that?” She heard the concern in his voice. She even understood it, but it still hurt to hear even her dad question whether she had truly changed. She thought they had talked this all out. This was what she had always wanted but didn’t think she could have. For the past eight years, she avoided Neptune because she didn’t know how to fix things but now it seems time has worked it out on its own. This was her chance. 

“Dad, I don’t want to run anymore. I miss my friends, I miss you, I miss Logan. When I saw you all together enjoying each other, I was hurt, but I realized it’s what I always wanted and now I can have that. So yes, I’m sure. I just don’t know if anyone else wants that with me.”

“Oh, honey.”

“Don’t. I just left Logan’s and he wasn’t very receptive. I poured my heart out to him and I didn’t get any reaction. He wasn’t angry or sad or happy. It was as if he was indifferent to me.”

Keith scoffed at that. “Veronica, that boy is far from indifferent to you.” Keith readjusted his position on the couch so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder. 

“Honey, a lot has changed since you left. Logan has been through a lot. It started with a phone call from Dick on a particularly bad evening. Since that time, I’ve gotten to know Logan and I learned a lot about things that happened when the two of you were together that I didn’t know before. I am proud of the man he has become, and if there is one thing I am sure of, it’s that he still loves you.” Veronica wanted to believe her dad more than anything. Even Dick told her as much but Logan’s actions made her question them both. 

“If he does love me, why isn’t he giving me a chance?” Veronica knew she was whining now but she couldn’t help it. Just then, her dad’s phone rang. 

“I’m sorry, honey, but I have to take this.” He stood up and left the room. 

The more this day went on, the more it felt like she was in the twilight zone. Making the decision to find some semblance of normalcy, she stood and made her way toward the tubs her dad had brought in. She removed the lids, revealing the holiday decorations. 

“That’s what I’m talking about,” she mumbled to herself, then moved to the stereo cabinet to scan the stack of CDs for their favorite holiday mood-setting classics. Veronica placed a CD in the player, pushed play, and returned to the tub of decorations, dancing along to the music as she sifted through the familiar holiday items. 

By the time her father returned, she had the garland adorning the mantel, the wreath on the front door, and the dancing Santa and Frosty the Snowman displayed next to the fireplace. 

“Honey, I’m not sure it’s a good idea to place Frosty next to the fireplace,” her dad teased her. 

“You may have a point. Where do you usually keep him?” she asked, lifting the snowman from his hazardous spot by the fire.

“I usually put him next to the tree, but I didn’t get the tree yet,” he answered, taking Frosty from her and putting him on the floor next to the window. He then went to the tub to pull out more garland and began to wrap the pillar leading into the kitchen. 

“Veronica, that was Logan on the phone. I invited him over for dinner tonight.” She practically dropped the poinsettia she was trying to attach to the garland on the window.

“What did I miss the past eight years that my ex-boyfriend is more comfortable talking to my dad than me?” She felt like she was ready to cry. 

“Honey, I know this is hard on you. Maybe it was the wrong decision to go along with you not wanting to talk about Logan, but I can’t change that now. He’s on his way over here. He’s going to help us decorate, have dinner, and we’re gonna talk. Just take it slow.” 

Keith walked over to her near the window and wrapped his arms around her. The moment he engulfed her, she began to cry. 

He comforted her for a bit before he suggested she take a minute. “Why don’t you go clean yourself up before he gets here.”

She barely had time to splash water on her face before she heard her dad talking to someone. Clearly he saw Logan pull up out front and wanted to spare her the humiliation of him seeing her cry. She was grateful to get this chance to spend some time with Logan. She thought about what her dad had told her and decided she would try to just let things happen as they may. She said what she needed to say at his place, now it was up to Logan. She dried her hands, took a deep breath, and stepped out into the hallway. She left the door open and quietly made her way toward the sound of the voices.

“It’s okay, Logan, I’ve come to realize that not talking about the two of you was probably not the greatest decision. Just give it time, don’t put so much pressure on yourself. She’s not going anywhere,” she heard her dad say.

“So she’s really staying in Neptune?” Logan asked, sounding skeptical.

“Yes, son, she’s really staying. She maintained her PI license so that isn’t a concern and we’re rearranging MI so she has her own office. I meant it when I said I think it’s okay if you let your guard down, but I can’t fault you for being cautious.”

When Veronica came around the corner, she found Logan and her dad standing at the dining room table. Logan was supporting himself, hands grasping the back of the wooden chair, hunched over. Her dad had his hand on his shoulder, leaning over, talking to him quietly. She couldn’t help the warmth that washed over her at the sight of the two men she loved the most in such an embrace. It also became clear that Logan had found the father figure he always wanted and deserved. This was her family; it was up to her to fix it.

“Hey,” she said, feeling guilty for interrupting a private moment. They both turned to look at her.

“Veronica, the living room looks good until we get the tree. What do you say we get started on dinner?” her dad asked, blatantly trying to lighten the tension in the room.

“Sure, that works,” Veronica responded. “Hey, Logan.”. 

“Hey, V.” 

“I had planned to have lasagna with garlic bread and a salad. Does that sound good for the two of you or would you rather we make something else?” her dad asked. He had to know she was more than okay with his choice for dinner so she could only assume he was asking for Logan’s sake.

“I wouldn’t want to come between Veronica and her lasagna, it’s fine with me,” Logan joked and Veronica felt some of her tension lift away. This was good. She waited for his eyes to make contact with hers and gave him a smile. She was rewarded with a genuine smile in return.

* * *

It was an emotional evening. As they prepared dinner, they kept things light and playful. Veronica learned more about Logan’s work in the Navy. This holiday season was the first one he’d been stateside since enlisting. She learned this year's festivities had been planned especially around him and the gathering she’d witnessed earlier had been to help him decorate his house. At dinner, they told her about the Sunday afternoon barbeques, evening card games, and trips to the gun range that everyone gathered for. Those were the happy results from dealing with the tough times. It had been a year after Veronica left town when Logan’s downward spiral into depression sent Dick to Keith for help. He helped them move out of the Grand and encouraged Logan to take his advisors’ advice and look into the military. Even though Dick had come to him, it took a while before they accepted that Keith cared and would be there when they needed him. She knew there were things they didn’t share with her as they sat around the table, but she hoped over time they would have more stories they were willing to tell.

Keith left Logan and Veronica to clean up dinner. She washed as he dried. It didn’t slip past her that he knew her dad’s kitchen a lot better than she did. It surprised her how much that didn’t bother her. 

“I’m glad I agreed to come tonight,” Logan shared as he took the plate from her.

“Yeah, me too,” she admitted, taking her time washing the next plate.

“You didn’t have much to say about everything.” 

“It’s a lot to take in.” She hands him the next plate, offering a half smile. “I’m processing.” She sees him jerk at that and quickly adds, “Not running, just processing.”

“Oh.” He takes the plate, drying it off before putting it in the cupboard. “Did you really mean everything you said today?”

Veronica drops the washrag in the sink and braces her hands on the counter, turning to him. “Yes! Of course I did.” She grabbed the towel from him and dried off her hands. Taking a chance, she reached for him and he accepted her hand in his. She led him to the table and sat down, continuing to hold his hand, tethering herself to him. 

“Look, full disclosure. About a week ago, I ran into Piz and he asked me out. I turned him down, but as I stood there in line at my favorite coffee shop with him, all I could think about was how he would have fit perfectly in this new life I created for myself. But Logan, I hated who I was in New York, it wasn’t me. So, I called my dad and told him I was coming home for good.” 

She pulled her hand away, suddenly hesitant to share, but knowing she couldn’t stop. “I was at your house this morning.” She looked up to find a look of bewilderment on his face. “I saw you with my dad and Mac and Dick. You were all so happy. I wanted to be a part of that.” She paused to take a deep breath; talking like this was so hard, but Logan waited patiently for her to continue. “I thought you all had done the hard part and all I needed to do was join the party. But when I showed up, you shut me out.”

It was Logan’s turn to take her hands back into his, squeezing them a little tighter for support as she added, “I shouldn’t have expected it to be that easy. I’m sorry.” 

“You’ve apologized a lot today,” he acknowledged, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

“I’ve got a lot to apologize for,” she said. 

“My turn for full disclosure,” he says with a smirk. “I wasn’t sure I had heard you back at my place. I thought I had been hallucinating. Not in my entire life did I expect to hear Veronica Mars apologize, then tell me she loves me. When you ran out, I got up to follow you. Then I saw Dick standing in the kitchen. I needed to hear him tell me I was being irrational, to stop me, but he didn’t. He just told me to be careful. So I did what I’ve been doing every time I feel like I’m spiraling. I called your dad.”

Veronica pulled her hands from his and scooted her chair closer to him. He seemed to understand the gesture and leaned forward. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she took a moment to rub her thumbs on his cheeks, warming them. “First of all, we are going to have to talk about how that all came about, but right now I don’t want there to be any doubt about how I feel.” Veronica felt his jaw move as if he gulped and she sighed before telling him again. 

“Logan Echolls, I love you. I have always loved you.” 

Logan put his hands over top of hers and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. She watched as he closed his eyes and they remained that way until his breathing slowed. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard him.

“It’s about time.” 

Veronica couldn’t help but cough out a laugh. Logan took her hands away from his face and held them as he relaxed in his chair. “This really is going to be the best Christmas.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for the LoVe today on my Discord Spotlight! I'm enjoying talking to all of you!!
> 
> Thank You Irma66 for taking the time out of your busy schedule to Beta this for me! Luv U!!


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